


Instincts

by orphan_account



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Broken Bones, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Kitsune!Prompto, Kitsunes, M/M, Scary Ardyn, Werewolves, a little bit of smut, but I stopped bc it didn’t suit the story, werewolf!Noctis, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-16 00:58:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16944003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Insomnia has about every damn creature on Earth lurking somewhere around inside, but it also houses one specific species that was supposedly extinct after the war between Niflheim and Insomnia. Werewolves. The Lucis line is the last of the majestic beasts, and after the death of Regis, his son Noctis was presumably dead as well. Just finding out that a mythical creature exists is one thing, but keeping it a secret is another. Other lands would kill their own people to get their hands on such a powerful being. Threats are all around Noctis everyday, and the kingdom of Altissia is no match for other nations such as Niflheim. Plus, he’s the last werewolf, so how’s he gonna reproduce? Well, maybe... a certain relationship can save his kind once again from extinction?





	1. Monday Morning Grumps

Riiiiiing... riiiiing... riiiiiing... riiiiiiiiiing...

Noctis slowly peeked a lazy eye open. He freaking hated mornings. Mumbling a few curses under the covers, he fumbled himself into a position to try and slap that snooze button until it breaks. Reaching one arm out of the warm covers, Noctis winced. Cold, morning air hit his sensitive skin like a -1000 degree knife pressed upon it. Winter mornings suck the most. Noct should really be starting to get ready for hibernating, but he’s not the best at taking care of himself. It’s usually always Ignis telling him what to eat to make hibernation easier. It’s not like Noctis ever listened, anyway. Moving his arm aimlessly in the air, he tried to locate the rectangular sound box and just throw it out the window. As long, slender fingers meet up with ice cold plastic, Noctis hisses.

Fuck. Why did I even waste money to buy this one hell of a alarm clock?

Reaching for the snooze button, Noctis stretched his arm as far as it could go, only having it come in contact with something... warm and... soft...? A soft gasp could be heard faintly in the distance.

The hell? Noctis thought lazily to himself. Did my clock melt, or something?

He lifted head up and out of covers, expecting to see a heap of melted plastic, only to find something much worse. His... his hand, was resting on a mound. A round, smooth mound covered in a thin, white fabric. There were two mounds, both looking the same, and both were connected to a body.

“You...” It was a woman’s voice. Noctis could tell. Venom dripped from that word like acid burning into his palm.

Noctis’ eyes widened. Shit. Before he could remove his hand, or even come up with another lame excuse for the misunderstanding, a hand connected with his face, slapping him so hard, Noctis’ head had snapped in the opposite direction, his body soon following it. And damn, it stung like hell. Noctis was 80% sure there would be a handprint halfway across his face for the next month. His ears felt like they were about to snap off his head, and Noctis flinched away. Tail curled neatly around his body, he looked up to glance at this monstrosity of a woman, lurking over him like a daemon.

“Noctis... how dare you...!” She snarled, eyes narrowing like a predator’s. Her silver hair sparkled in the sunlight, a white dress was worn loosely around her body, and her eyes glistened. Damn. Noctis had to admit. Under the morning sun like this, her pale skin seemed to glow like a goddess’. A devil hidden under the goddess, actually.

Noctis sighed. I never should’ve woken up today...

“Look, Aranea. I’m sorry. It was a simple misunderstanding. It’s early in the morning, and I’m just not into cold mornings.” Noctis threw up a puny excuse from his mouth, trying his hardest for it to be enough to make Aranea let him go.

“Misunderstanding, my ASS!” Aranea bellowed, a snarl taking over her usual calm expression. Damn, definitely a demon. “Are you sure you aren’t in heat? A prince like you should not be harassing other women this early in the morning!”

“I’m sorry, ok? It was an accident, and...” Noctis stuttered, trying to sound normal. Why is it so hard, all of a sudden? What happened to his stoneface when he needed it the most?

“HARASSMENT!” Aranea roared in his face. Noctis sighed. There’s just no arguing with a woman like her. It’s almost like a one way switch. Once you flick the switch, there’s no turning back.

“I was reaching for the snooze button, ok?!” Noctis started raising his own voice. His mood was shitty every morning, anyway. He didn’t need it getting any worse. “Besides, what were you doing standing right by my bed, anyway?”

“I was coming to wake you up, since you never do it on your own!” Aranea shouted back, towering over Noctis like a giant.

“Well, the alarm’s already done that, thank you very much.” Noctis grumbled to himself.

With the stupid alarm still going off, Noctis slowly started getting out of the warm bed, wincing as the cold air gave him a second slap to the body, and put on some loose shorts and a baggy shirt. Running a hand through his hair, Noctis started walking towards the bathroom to take a shower, and try to wash off some of the traces of the handprint on his once flawless skin. Rubbing his sore cheek gently, Noctis opened the bathroom door.

“Just where do you think you’re going, brat?!” Aranea growled. “I think I need to teach you a lesson!”

“Fuck off.” Noctis mumbled, walking into the bathroom, not before flipping Aranea off before closing the door behind him.

“That little punk is too spoiled for his own good! I swear, if I was his parent...” Aranea’s shouting started dying as she stormed out of Noctis’ bedroom. Noct sighed in relief. Another day, another shitty morning.

Turning on the water, Noctis slowly stepped into the shower, instantly feeling relaxed as warm water droplets caressed his body gently. Finally, some peace and quiet. After standing still in the shower for what seemed like forever, Noctis finally snapped out of his little happy place, and decided to actually wash his body. Reaching for the shampoo, Noctis squeezed the product onto his palm, and started mixing it into his jet black hair. It was going pretty well, actually, until Noctis sprayed shampoo into his eyes.

~8~ 

“God, I swear. Regis spoils that brat way to much.” Aranea growls, chewing furiously on a piece of buttered toast. The dining room was massive. Too massive, in her opinion. The walls were supported with polished, pearl-white pillars laced with golden designs. There were five extra large refrigerators, three walk-in pantries, and about eight freaking ovens. Unless there’s eight fucking Ignises, then the other seven are just a waste of money. God, who needs this much? Werewolves do. They take up so much more room than us. It’s so inconvenient. Aranea thought they would much rather be living out in the wilderness, than to be crammed in this hell house.

“Now, now, let’s cut our little prince some slack.” A man says as he walks up to Aranea and pats her shoulder lightly. His brown hair is pulled back with the top sticking out like a hedgehog’s, and his tall, slender body seemed to make Aranea look like a midget. She turns to look at the man, a complaint bursting through her lips.

“Shut up, Ignis. You’re my husband. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

Ignis smirks. “Yes, but I’m also a guardian for Noctis.”

“So are you saying that your job is more important that our relationship?” Aranea mumbles, glaring at the taller man.

“Nobody’s saying that except for you,” Ignis smirks, and puts a plate of flaky pancakes drenched in syrup in front of his fiancé.

“Whatever.” Aranea mumbles, and starts stuffing her face with fork fulls of pancakes.

“Ignis?” A tender voice suddenly interrupts the silence. Ignis and Aranea turned to see who it came from. Aranea smiled.

“Ah, Luna.” She said lightly. “Want some?” Aranea pointed to the pancakes.

Luna stayed silent for a few minutes, wandering around the room, looking for something. Someone. Her blonde hair shined like gold as she was running. Her blue eyes glowed like the sky, scanning the dining room for a certain someone.

Aranea looked at her, confused. “What are ya looking for, kiddo?”

Luna turned to the older woman. “Where’s...” before she could finish her sentence, a shriek echoed through the room, followed by a series of curses.

“MY FUCKING EYE! GOD, FRICK! JESUS, CHRIST! FFFFFUCKING, CRIMINY! I HATE SHAMPOOOOO!!!” 

“Noctis...” Luna finished, looking directly up in the direction of the screaming. Aranea and Ignis both sighed. It’s just another day in the Lucis household. You’d think that the last werewolf would be at least able to care properly for himself...

A few minutes later, Noctis came staggering out from the stairs, casually tripping on the last step, and slowly limped his way to the dining table. His tail was bristling with anger, and his wolf ears twitched in irritation. He wore a pair of black sunglasses to cover up his swollen eyes, and his hair was still dripping wet. Ignis sighed. “Noctis, you have to dry your hair. On cold days like this, you could catch a cold.” Noctis snorted. “I would’ve if I wasn’t blind. He grabbed for a pancake, not bothering to use any silverware, and tried to guide it into his mouth, but only succeeded in feeding it to his nose. Luna giggled. Noctis groaned. At this point, Noctis had already had a shitty morning. His body gave out, and his head landed on the hard, polished table with a thunk. Noctis had officially given up on mornings.

Aranea lit a cigarette and took a few puffs from it, before exhaling the smoke onto Noct’s soaked face. “You’ve got a lot to learn, kiddo.”

~8~

It was just a regular day at school. Nothing more, nothing less. The teachers always begged Noctis to try a little harder on his assignments, since currently, he was failing biology, and had two straight Cs in Geometry and English. His other grades weren’t any better, either. The only impressive grade Noctis had was in athletics. Because of his werewolf blood, it was no surprise that he had more energy and strength than any of the other kids at school. Noctis was always the first to be picked onto a team (if he wasn’t the one picking teams), and there wasn’t a single student that could beat his record in running. Five miles in seven minutes. Of course, since Noct was the jock kind of student, his fans were nonstop. Hell, he had more fans than the entire marching band group. About half the school girls were obsessed with him. Noctis never paid any attention to them. Although, on some occasions, he’d take selfies with them, or give them a light kiss on the hand, but those are just to improve his reputation.

“Yo, womanizer! How’s your eyesight doing? I heard you squeezed about half a bottle’s worth of shampoo into those sockets! You do know that ‘tear free’ shampoo bottles don’t mean they are tear free, right?” A silver-haired boy came up behind Noctis and slapped him upside the head. Noctis growled, and turned to glare at the other student. Ravus Nox Fleuret. Mr. master jock. Ravus and Noctis have been rivals ever since middle school. The man and the wolf. Not a good combination. Noctis was a sophomore in high school, while Ravus was a senior. He had always been in second place behind Noctis in sports. But in any other subject, Ravus was winning by a mile. Not only was he athletic, but he was smart. Their fans battled each other to the death over who’s better. Other students can’t stand it, and personally, Noctis doesn’t blame them.

“Not much. How is your teacher chasing plan going, teacher’s pet? Shouldn’t you be running around with a tattle tail tongue?” Noctis smirked, coming back with the same approach. Ravus clenched his fists, and ran in front of Noctis, blocking the stairs from the raven.

“Move.” Noctis ordered, an ice cold gaze settled on the fuming jock.

“What did you say, mutt?” Ravus growled, standing over the shorter teen.

“I said move your face, teacher’s pet.” Noctis repeated, and walked around the jock, making his way up the stairs.

Ravus glared at the boy. “At least I ain’t no house pet!” Noctis paused. His ear twitched. Ravus smiled smugly. “Does your doggy ear know that it’s true?”

Noctis turned around to face the taller boy. “What’d you call me...?” Venom dripped from his words. At this time, a crowd of people had already surrounded them, screaming for a fight.

Ravus smirked. “I said, at least I wasn’t a damn dirty mutt that followed behind other humans like a pet!” Noctis stepped closer to the older boy, and glared at him.

“Don’t.” Noctis mumbled threateningly, keeping his eyes on the floor. This only seemed to encourage Ravus to go on.

“What’s a mutt like you doing in this school, anyway? How did they even accept you?” Noctis grew angrier every moment. He tried his best to hide it and leave, but his bristling tail behind him gave it all away, which was the best possible outcome to a bully. Ravus, being the keen jock he was, noticed it immediately, and kept going, each insult hitting Noctis like a bullet. “Am I making you angry? I’m just telling the truth, y’know!”

“Ravus, stop!” A voice echoed in the distance. The crowd turned to see who the owner of the voice was. Luna. Ravus’ smile faded.

“Luna, I’ve told you before. When big brother’s busy, don’t interrupt him!” He snarls.

“I won’t let you make fun of Noct just because he looks different!”

“Looks different?” Ravus laughs. “More like all different! Your blood, your DNA, your appearance! Just admit it! You’re not human!” Noctis stood still as the crowd roared to life, urging them to fight each other.

He glared at the senior, the urge to punch that stupid grin off his face tripled. “You think I don’t know that already?”

“Ravus, stop! That’s not true! Say you’re sorry!” Luna pleads, noticing how close Noctis is to snapping.

Her brother snorts. “Why should I? He’s the last werewolf. He should be able to defend himself, right? Look at this mess!” Noctis clenches his fist so hard that he can feel blood dripping from where his nails had dug into his palm. “Look at little Noctis!” Ravus continues. “Such a pity how you couldn’t live up to be the expectations of your ancestors. Probably why your dad died in the first place!” Noctis was holding on by a thread. He hated this feeling. It felt as if he moved even a little bit, he’d snap. He hated it. He hated it. He hated it. He hated it. He absolutely hated it. “Your father’s probably embarrassed to have you be the last descendant! Pathetic!” That had done it. It cut the thread. Noctis snapped.

A fist flew into Ravus’ face, sending the older boy stumbling backwards, holding his bruised jaw. “SHUT UP!” Noctis roared, and jumped onto Ravus. Pinning the other boy to the ground, Noctis sent blows after blows to the other boy’s face. The crowd went wild.

“Noct, calm down!” Luna pleaded, grabbing Noctis’ arm, trying to stop him from turning the other boy’s face into mush. Noctis whipped his head around, catching Luna by surprise, and flung her off, sending her body tumbling to the side. Noctis’ wolf blood had come to a boil, and all sense was gone, except for one voice. Survive. There’s a threat underneath you. Kill him. Save yourself. Live. The students surrounding them started cheering louder and louder every second, making Noctis’ sensitive wolf ears lay flat on his head. It was sickening. He wished they would just stop.

Suddenly, the screaming and shouting had finally caught the attention of the faculty, and five men raced towards the fight to try and break it up. Pushing through the crowd, they yelled for back up to help carry the two away. Noctis knew that he should stop mashing the poor boy’s face in, but something inside him told him to continue on. It felt... good... to bash the other’s face in. It was Ravus who started it, anyway. His punches grew harder and fiercer. On one moment, a sickening crack sounded through the whole hallway. There goes Ravus’ flawless nose...

“AAAAUGH!” Ravus yelped, trying to shield his bruised face from Noct’s fists. “Somebody get this rabid animal off of me!” Of course, no people in the crowd paid any attention to him. They were all too focused at the rabid animal. Teachers, security, and other students pushed the crowd aside, and tried to break up this one hell of a rampage.

“Noctis! Stop!” Luna pleaded, grabbing his arm to try and stop him from killing the boy underneath. Noctis just casually flung her off his shoulder. Her slender body literally bounced off the walls. He smirked at all the strength he had compared to these puny humans. Glancing at both hands, covered in Ravus’ blood, Noctis laughed. He had won. He got up, and walked off the twitching body, and went to stare at the cheering crowd. He glared at them. Their sounds. The noise. He hated it. He hated how they always shout at everything. He hated them.

Faculty immediately grabbed him by the arm, and started leading him away from the murder scene. Noctis silently obliged. His job was finished. He survived.

Suddenly, a shoulder went right against Noctis’ back, sending him flying forwards, getting a face full of tiles. A body pounced on top of him, and spun Noctis around, so he was lying on his back. Noctis was surprised. How was the boy even able to move after what he had done to him? “Ravus...” Noct started, but got interrupted with a punch to the gut. He gasped in pain. Trying to push the older boy off him wasn’t as easy as he had thought. Sure, he was strong, but Ravus was 90% pure muscle. That man can pack a punch, and stand his ground at the same time.

Security immediately sprung into action, and tried to pull Ravus off the other boy.

“You had your fun. Now, it’s my turn.” And with that, Noctis experienced a real falcon punch firsthanded. The move had hit him so hard, it made his head hit the tiles painfully, and his head snapped to one side. Noctis’ attempts to push the older boy off him were slowly weakening with every blow he received, until Noctis was just a limp body getting hammered into the ground. The crowd got louder every second, which wasn’t helping Noct’s situation at all.

Is this the best you can do?

Are you truly the last of the werewolves?

You can’t even beat a mere human.

You have to stand up for yourself, because nobody else will do it for you.

Keep walking forward, no matter what dangers hit you...

Because the moment you go backwards...

You fall.

Walk tall, my son.

Noctis’ eyes snap open, and he growled low in his throat. Literally like a rabid animal. He blocked one of Ravus’ blows with one arm, and used to other to grab the boy’s jacket. He pulled Ravus down, and gave him a welcoming headbutt. The crowd went wild. Ravus stumbled back, and held his forehead, glaring at Noctis. The smaller boy wasted no time, and kicked Ravus’ body off of his own, sending him tumbling on the tiles. Noctis stood up, and wiped the blood off his face. Ravus snarled at Noctis, and Noctis growled back at him.

“That hurt, idiot.” Ravus grumbled, rubbing his forehead gently.

One of the fans in the crowd cheered gallantly. “Go, Noctis! You make Ravus seem like a puny rat!”

Ravus whipped around to glare at the fan, making the student stumble back a few feet. “Aw, c’mon, dude.” He growled at the fan, eyes gleaming like stars. “That was a little too obnoxious, wasn’t it?”

Noctis smirked. “Good. That means he described it correctly, then.”

Ravus snapped his head back at Noctis, smoke fuming out of his nostrils like an angry bull (To describe how Ravus looked, imagine a massive bull with silver hair. Got that? Great. Now, imagine Noct dressed in neon red clothes wearing a neon red hat and a pair of red boots. Also, a bucket of red paint had been dumped all over him. Now, imagine the rage in that bull’s eye. RIP). “Why, you little punk...” Ravus slowly stomped his way towards Noct, his expression resembling more of a rabid animal than Noct ever was.

But before the fight could go on any longer, security stepped in and led both boys in opposite directions. They told the crowd to go to their classes, and left through the double doors.

The crowd grunted in annoyance, and eventually disassembled. One of the teacher’s helped Luna up, and led her to the nurse’s office. He looked behind her shoulder to glance sadly at Noctis before he was led into the office.

~8~

“Noctis, you have to learn to control your urges.” A tall, muscular man with pulled back hair stared at Noctis.

“I am trying!!” Noctis booms, slamming his fist on the desk. “It was Ravus who started it!” The guard sighed. Noctis came into his office at least once a week from some problem. 70% of the time was because of Ravus. The boy’s are like fire and ice. He’s pretty sure they’d kill each other if left alone for long enough. “Cor, you don’t understand! You never did!” The boy roared, both ears and tail bristled with anger.

Cor sighed. “Sit down, Noctis.” Noctis grunted, and sat back down in the wooden chair. Cor wiped the scratches that Noctis had gashed onto the desk, and looked at him sincerely. The kid may be young, but boy, does he have a temper. If it could change the weather, everyday would have hurricanes and tsunamis. He’s afraid of what the last werewolf would become in a few years. God forbid if he were to change sides. “Do you know how much of a threat you can cause if you lose control? What if you transform? Have you ever thought about that?” Cor speaks like a robot. So clear, and so direct. It drives Noctis insane.

“I’m thinking about it every damn day!” Noctis snarls, clenching his fists. “Do you think I want to transform into a monster?! What do you know about me, huh?” Noctis keeps going for what seems like an eternity. “You think you know everything about me, but you don’t! All I am to you is a mere military weapon, anyway, so why don’t you stop telling me to give you the proper blowjob you humans need for your own comfort, and learn to suck your own dick?!” Noctis throws insult after insult at the marshall until he runs out of breath.

Cor remains silent for a few minutes. For a while, all you can hear is the boy’s pants and wheezes. But man, Noctis has to admit, getting all that rage out is pretty relaxing afterwards. For a few more minutes, Cor finally says something. “Are you done?” Noctis just stares at his lap, and nods. Cor clears his throat. “Ok, good. Now, we can finally get into the lecture.”

Noctis freezes. “We haven’t even begun yet??”

Cor just smirks teasingly at the student. “And boy, it’s gonna be a long one.”


	2. The Fox and the Hound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, once again, people! I know the wait might’ve been a little long, but I’m procrastinating just for you! Just a heads up, this chapter contains feels. Also, some Noctis x Aranea, Noctis x Gladio, and Noctis x Ignis fluff, but just as a parental figure. I swear, Noctis x Prompto’s going to show up, ok?? Trust me. Also, thank you, Declanis, to being the first person to like, follow, and comment on this story! It means a lot, really. Just wanna create stories to read if you’re bored, since I ran out of them. Anyway, enough talking from me. Enjoy.

Noctis swung the main door to his house open, and slammed it shut after he sulked in the building. The force behind that door was so massive, Aranea thought that they’d have to get a new door in general. Maybe even a new doorway.

 

 

“Noct, can you _please_ be more gentle with the doors? We don’t need to buy a fifth door this week.” Aranea muttered, taking a sip from her teacup. Noct said nothing, and slowly stumbled his way to where Aranea was sitting, and collapsed on the carpet floor, letting all energy drain from his body. Aranea sighed. The boy came back with torn clothes, a bloody nose, and a sprained wrist. This was getting ridiculous. Noctis would usually get into fights at least once a month, but now, it’s turned into once a week. She and Ignis are going to end up spending all their money on gauze and bandages if this doesn’t stop soon.

 

Noct laid on the carpet for a good ten minutes until he finally mumbled something. “Got suspended again,” he sighed, his tail twitching slightly. “For a whole week this time.”

 

Aranea sighed.

 

 

_Only Noctis could present himself like **this** to his guardians._

 

Setting her teacup down on its plate, Aranea got up from the dining table and kneeled in front of Noctis. “Hello? Anybody in there?” She teased, tapping the boy’s head gently. No response. “Huh,” Aranea wondered, putting her hand on her chin. “Maybe you actually did die this time.” No response, still. Aranea stood up, and turned her back to face the boy. Throwing her hands to her side, she muttered, “well, I guess I have to notify all of Insomnia’s doctors and all of Insomia’s people to come revive you...”

 

“Don’t... even...” a scratchy reply finally came. Aranea smirked, and whirled around, eyeing the boy teasingly.

 

“Well, it seems that the gods have given our little prince back to us,” she sneered, patting Noct’s shoulder. Noctis just grunted and pushed her hand away, his tail twitching in annoyance.

 

“S-shut up...” he murmured, and rose to his feet.

 

Aranea snickered as he brushed the dirt off his body. “I can see that you’re blushing, ya know...”

 

Noctis whipped around, glaring at the woman. “I’m not blushing.” His tail curled around his leg like a python, and his ears twitched irritatingly.

 

Aranea didn’t even flinch. “So, what’s going on at school? Did ya see a person you... liiiike?” Her eyes searched the boy’s face, looking for the slightest twitch that says ‘yes.’

 

Noctis turned his back on her, and sauntered up the stairs to his room. “Like _that’ll_ happen in a million years.”

 

“Suuuuure.” Aranea purred. Noctis just flipped her off as always. She sighed. “If you keep using your middle finger like that, it’ll get stuck one day, y’know?”

 

Noctis turned to face the mercenary with a smirk on his face. “Then how come Ignis’ finger doesn’t get stuck like that? I heard he sticks it up _there_ every week when you guys get under the covers. Y’know, to prepare the hole for the tube.”

 

Aranea’s expression turned from a pleased look to a growl in the blink of an eye, and Noctis swore her whole face turned as red as a tomato. “W-what?! Who told you that?! Lies!” Noctis turned around, and smirked. He hit that weak spot good this time. That was very satisfying. He started making his way up the stairs, absorbing all the curses and screams coming Aranea. This was going very well.

 

_Jackpot._

 

Actually, it was going pretty well until Noctis tripped on the last damn step on the stairs, and tumbled like a boulder down the entire staircase.

 

_Fuck._

 

He landed with a groan on his shoulders, his back curling in painfully with the rest of his body. Aranea's yelling had changed into loud laughter. “Damn,” Noctis swore under his breath.

 

Aranea walked up to the boy, staring at his threatening eyes. “Karma’s a bitch,” she laughed, and pulled the boy up, dusting off his already-torn clothes. From the time he came in, Noct’s shirt had already had a gaping hole in the center, and now, the whole shirt was cut open at the center, as if someone had done a terrible job at cutting his shirt in the middle with a pair of crappy scissors. His chest could be clearly seen now, and it was caked with dirt. Aranea choked on a chuckle, and Noctis replied with a glare. His snow-white tail swung around his body, fluffing up like a cat’s.

 

“It sure is...” Noct agreed grumpily, and brushed the remaining dust off his body.

 

Aranea just chuckled at the kid. “Nice look ya got there, Prince Charming,” she snickered while putting her hands on his shoulders.

 

“I’m gonna go take a shower...” Noctis grunted, and tried to escape Aranea’s grasp on his shoulders, but she held him still. “Let go,” he growled, ears twitching in irritation.

 

“Not so fast, Noctis,” Aranea insisted, tightening her grip on the boy’s shoulder. “We have to talk about your temper, Noct...”

 

He paused. Noct’s whole body sulked, sensing where this was going. “I know...” he muttered, not bothering to meet up with Aranea’s gaze. “It’s just... it’s _hard_ , y’know?”

 

Aranea sighed, relaxing her grip on the boy’s shoulders. Her eyes met up with his. “Ravus is a big jock, and I could even say that his temper is _worse_ than yours.”

 

Noct looked at his bruised hands. “Well, at least he doesn’t transform into a _monster_ when he gets angry...” he clenches them in frustration, and kicked the floor with his shoe. “ _He_ doesn’t have to lock himself up every time there’s a full moon, either...”

 

Aranea shakes her head slightly. “Stop it, Noct. Besides, what things would Ravus have that you want, anyway?”

 

Noctis closes his eyes for a few moments, and soon, a small smile creeps up his lips, followed by a few tears.

 

“A father.”

 

Aranea glances at the boy with a sorrowful look in her eyes. Noctis must’ve noticed her face, and immediately started brushing the tears off his face.

 

_Huh. I actually feel bad for the kid... how soft have I gotten_ _these years?_

 

“Noctis. You have to stop focusing on what _he_ has. Talk to me, here.” Aranea says sincerely.

 

Noctis looks up at her. “What do you want me to say?” His empty eyes drained of their natural blue color sent shivers up her spine.

 

“What does he _lack_ that you _have_?”

 

Noctis looks back down at the floor. “A tail. Wolf ears. A _curse_.”

 

“Noct, no!” Aranea booms, shaking the boy slightly, taking the kid by surprise. “Stop thinking about all the negative parts of your life! What are the good times you’ve experienced in your life?”

 

Noct stares at her, no expression on his face at all. Aranea feels like she’s talking to a shell, nothing on the outside, empty on the inside. It... _scares_ her a little.

 

“I can’t... I-I...” Noct stammers, his face turning from a stone to a frown.

 

“Why, Noctis?” Aranea asks, running a hand through the boy’s hair. “Why can’t you? Tell me what’s wrong!”

 

“I...” Noctis turns his head away.

 

“Why??” Aranea pleads, turning the boy’s head so that they make eye contact.

 

“...” silence. The two stare at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Noct finally answers.

 

“...I... I can’t _remember_ any good times...” he stutters, a whimper escaping his throat, soon turning into a soft sob.

 

Aranea stares at the whimpering boy in silence. She’s utterly horrified.

 

_How? When? Why? What cause?_

 

She doesn’t know what to do at this point. After all, she’s never been a strong parent figure in the first place. After a few minutes, she slowly pulls the kid into a hug. Noctis grasps onto her dress, squeezing, gripping, holding onto it like it’s his life support, and lets it all out for the first time in his life. Aranea doesn’t know what else to do, other than to hold onto the boy, squeezing him affectionately. Noct’s openly sobbing into her dress now, completely ruining the fabric with tears, sweat, and snot. For a long, painful moment, the only sound in the entire mansion were Noct’s cries and gasps of agony. Aranea never knew how much the kid was keeping locked up inside him for so long. A human would’ve broken easily under so much pressure. It’s painful to see how hard the kid was trying to keep those secrets from others. Being a mercenary who’s supposed to be a guardian to the prince, it’s terrifying to realize how far away you really were to them the whole time... until now.

 

She slowly lifts the boy up, and wipes the tears, sweat, and snot from his face with a cloth. She brings him into a smaller, yet loving hug, gently stroking the whimpering raven’s black locks. “Shhhhh...” she whispers in his ear. “It’s ok. I’m here. I’m always here, now. I’m here to help you. I promise I won’t leave your side.”

 

Noctis just sniffles and grabs her dress, squeezing his eyes shut. “Thank you...” he whispers, so softly that Aranea has to lean in to comprehend it.

 

“I’m here for you. We all are. Me, Ignis, Gladio, and a million others.”

 

Noct’s tail curls around her affectionately, and his ears flick in approval.

 

“You don’t have to be alone. Not anymore.”

 

_________________________________

 

As he steps into the shower, Noctis puts his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

_What... what **was** that just then...?_

 

Turning on the water, Noct’s whole body relaxes as the warm water massages his aching muscles.

 

_It felt so good getting it out..._

 

Sinking into the bubbles, Noctis lets out a long, jagged sigh.

 

_So... relaxing..._

 

He runs a hand through his silky hair, spreading the shampoo all throughout the black locks.

 

_I see now..._

 

Washing the product out of his hair, Noctis closes his eyes this time instead on keeping them open like last time.

 

_So this is..._

 

Turning the water off, Noctis slowly steps out of the shower, and grabbed a towel to dry himself with.

 

_This is what humans call..._

 

Putting new shorts and a new shirt on, Noctis flops down on his bed, feeling refreshed. Relaxed. _Happy_.

 

_Love._

 

_________________________________

 

“Ignis...” Aranea mutters, talking directly to the man that just entered the building. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she looks at him with sincere eyes.

 

Ignis gazes at her questioningly. “Aranea, what- OH MY GOD.” His eyes widen, staring at the mess on her dress. The fabric was ruined. It _definitely_ had to be thrown out. He looked at her, concern dancing in his eyes. “Who did this to you...?”

 

Aranea ignored his question, and grabbed the man by the tie, and led him to the dining room. “We need to talk.”

 

________________________________

 

Ever since Noct’s meltdown had occurred, Aranea, Ignis, and Gladio all paid extra attention to the prince, like a protective parent, but sometimes, more like a creepy stalker in Noct’s opinion. Besides. Who needs to be monitored in the _shower_?? It gets quite frustrating at times, and Noctis wants to snap at them to stop following him, but deep down inside, he has to admit. He’s never felt so... _protected_ ever since his father had died.

 

Waking up on his second suspension day, Noct stretches and decides to go back to sleep, since he’s not allowed to go to school, anyway. After a few hours, however, Noctis awakens to the sound of scratches outside his window. Grunting, Noctis just buries his head in his pillow, trying to drift back under the warm blanket of sleep. He eventually does, _finally_ , but he soon awakens minutes after to louder scratches outside his window. Groaning, Noctis pulls back the covers, changes into a clean shirt and some black shorts, and groggily walks up to his window, searching for the cause of that irritating noise. His eyes fall upon an animal. Not just any animal, either. It was a fox. It’s fur was a peculiar _golden_ color, and it was rather large for a fox. Maybe as big as a full-grown male german shepherd. It was digging into one of the flowerbeds, an egg in its mouth.

 

Noctis snickered. “Was it planning to bury... an egg??” He continued to look at the canine, admiring its work as it tries its best to dig a decent hole. Minutes passed, and the hole was no deeper than a little dent in the soil. Noctis chuckled.

 

_Good job, buddy..._

 

But then, the fox dropped the egg into the little curve in the dirt, and then disappeared into the bushes. Noct’s ear twitched, and he opened the window, and crawled out into the garden. He had a hug landscape window, so it was fairly easy to squeeze through the opening. Walking towards the egg, Noctis noticed how massive the egg was. That wasn’t a normal chicken egg. It looked like it came from an overgrown chicken. Wait. An _overgrown_ chicken... big chicken... massive bird. A chocobo. It was a chocobo egg. That only made things weirder. What’s a fox doing with one of those, and how did he get it in the first place? Chocobo mothers are _extremely_ protective of their young, and Noctis had _tried_ to get an egg, but never prevailed in doing so.

 

A few minutes later, the fox returned through the bushes, and caught Noctis off guard. Surprised, Noct ran and dove into a bush, hoping that monster of a fox wouldn’t notice him. Surprisingly, it didn’t. Noct smirked.

 

_This fox ain’t that keen at tracking down others..._

 

This time, the fox had came with a big pile of hay in its mouth. Noct’s ear twitched in confusion.

 

_What the **hell** is that thing thinking?_

 

The canine gently pushed the egg aside, and set the pile of hay in the nest of dirt in the flowerbed, and tried its best to arrange the hay all around the hole. That’s when Noctis realized what the fox was doing. It was constructing a _nest_. Most likely for the chocobo egg.

 

_But_ **why? _Why not just eat it?_**

 

The fox gently scooped the egg up in its mouth, and slowly set it on the nest, pushing it around with its muzzle to make sure the egg was nice and snug in its new “home.” After positioning the egg for what seemed like an _eternity_ , the fox finally got up and left through the bushes again, its golden fur glistening under the sun.

 

Noctis waited a few minutes after the tip of the fox’s tail had dissapeared into the greenery, and finally crawled out of his own bush. Walking up to the nest, Noctis stared at it questioningly.

 

_What was **that** all about...? _

 

Returning to his room, Noctis jumped into his window and landed silently onto the carpet beneath him. Shutting the window, he processed what had just happened in his mind.

 

_Weird..._

________________________________

 

Everyday, the fox would be found in the garden, sitting on top of the nest, not so much that it would squish the egg, but enough pressure to keep it warm. Noctis found this amusing. Think about it. A _fox_. A sneaky, cruel predator, guarding an _egg_...?! How ironic. Everytime school ends, Noctis would look out his window to see that golden, overgrown fox guarding a golden, overgrown egg. It was cute in its own, special way.

 

On some occasions, the fox would even go as far as lick the egg as if it was its own baby. Noctis never understood this.

 

________________________________

 

Time passed, and soon enough, a full moon was approaching fast. Noctis had to get ready for his transformation. Aranea and Ignis were busily preparing the lock room for Noctis, and Gladio just sat by the boy’s side, whispering words of comfort in his ear. Noctis hated full moons. It was like a period for girls, but instead of only five days of bloody ass, this could last forever. If Noctis can’t control his transformation, he could very well be living as a werewolf for the rest of his life. Also, instead of once every month, it was once every few weeks. It was the _worst._

 

Noctis glanced at the clock on the wall. 6 p.m. it doesn’t help that it becomes darker a lot faster in the winter. He could already feel some of his werewolf blood rising. His tail and ears would always grow furrier and longer. The white fur shined under the moonlight like a star. Noctis groaned.

 

“Gladio, the room’s ready!” Ignis called, and Gladio gave a nod back.

 

“C’mon, princess,” the shield teased, and led the raven into the room.

 

Noct hated this room. It was so direct. It reminded him _exactly_ what he was, since the _sole_ purpose of this room was to contain a werewolf. The walls were reinforced with metal, and a softer rubber on the outside, so that Noct wouldn’t hurt himself while rampaging. Noctis just hoped that he could get this over with, since last time, it started earlier than expected, and they literally had to _sedate_ him. _That_ was problematic.

 

Noctis slowly entered the room, and started taking off his shirt. There’s no way he’s ripping another one of his favorite shirts _this_ time. As he settled himself on one side of the room, Ignis started cuffing his wrists in chains, which connected to the floor, so if he tried to run away, the chain would stop _that_ from happening. Thank god. He terrorized half the city one time when his chains weren’t strong enough to hold him down. _That_ was quite the experience. Ever since that incident, the guards had ordered his chains to be made of tungsten, the strongest metal on earth, mixed with a little bit of chromium just to add a shine to the chains. Noctis found that hilarious. Just because it’s shiny doesn’t mean he hates it any less than dull chains.

 

After all his wrist and ankle chains were secured, Ignis moved onto the collar. Of course, it was a stupid thing to have, but hey, rules are rules. The neck chain basically just adds more strength to the rest of the chains, and if needed, it could be used as a tracking device or a shock collar. Personally, Noct thinks it’s useless, other than making him look like someone’s oversized _pet_. After all the restraints were _finally_ done, Ignis, Aranea, and Gladio all whispered ‘good luck’ to him, and stood back from the wall. Gladio went to the opposite side of the room, and put his hand on one lever, which led to a closed metal window facing Noctis.

 

“You ready, Noct?” Gladio asked sincerely.

 

“Yeah,” Noctis muttered. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly. Closing his eyes for a moment, it was utterly silent in the room except for the sound of crickets. He snapped his eyes open, and nodded. “Pull the lever.”

 

Gladio nodded, and obliged, pulling the lever until a click rung throughout the room. The metal window swung open, and a clear view of that hideous moon could be seen. Moonlight spilled into the room, and Aranea ran to turn the lights in the room off, leaving only the moon lighting up the chamber. The moment the light spilled itself upon Noct’s body, the transformation had begun. His body began convulsing, and Noctis grunted in pain.

 

Aranea, Gladio, and Ignis soon left the room after saying goodbye, and closed the heavy door, locking it shut. Noctis looked at the door sadly, but the sorrow was soon overcome by waves of pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to relax his body, since letting the transformation work it’s was through him was less painful than opposing it.

 

His body began bending itself in uncomfortable ways as the transformation began. His back arched as new bones cracked and formed between old bones. Noctis cried out in agony. It felt as if someone were tugging at every bone in his body, trying to dislocate all his joints. Actually, they were probably all dislocated by now.

 

His shrieks and cries of agony bounced off the halls, making Aranea, Ignis, and Gladio all shiver. It was always so painful to sit and listen to their beloved prince cry out in pain, knowing that all they can do is sit, and wait for it to pass. Gladio clenched his fist.

 

“I _hate_ it...” he murmured, staring down at his fists.

 

Ignis comes to pat Gladio’s shoulder. “I know, Gladio,” he whispers. “We just have to trust that Noctis can handle this on his own.”

 

Gladio grits his teeth. “I know, but... I _hate_ how we can’t _do_ anything to help him. I _hate_ sitting around, and not being able to do _anything_.”

 

Aranea sighs. “It’s for the kid’s own good. The sooner he gets used to this, the less painful it will be for him and us.”

 

Gladio squeezes his hands together. “I sure hope so, Aranea...” he mutters.

 

Noctis lets out another shriek as the bones in his arms and legs rearrange themselves, and expand against his small body. All the cracks and screams could probably be heard in every part of Insomnia. The window was open, anyway. As his bones started to grow, so did his body. His skin stretched outwards, and his muscles doubled in size. White, hot, _blazing_ pain shot through his body. He could feel every tissue and nerve in his body contract and rip apart, sending hot bursts of pain throughout his frail structure. A normal human would’ve passed out from the pain by now. _Another_ shitty thing about being a werewolf. Their pain tolerance is _too_ high.

 

Noctis could barely think straight anymore. The moon was _blinding_. It’s almost like it’s hypnotizing him, slowly but surely. Very soon, fur began to sprout from every pore on his body, and the heat became unbearable.

 

“Guys...” Noctis stammered, piecing the words together slowly. “T-too h-hot...” just that one phrase exhausted him, and he was soon down on all four, panting like an actual wolf. As white fur slowly covered his body, his ears and tail grew longer, and Noctis could feel his nails sharpening into gleaming, black claws. His face grew longer, and his tongue also doubled in size. Sharp canines replaced human teeth, and his nose grew black and ten times more efficient. Unable to fully close his jaws, Noctis watched helplessly as saliva dripped freely from his mouth to the smooth floor underneath him.

 

_Gross._

 

Suddenly, blazing hot pain seared through his mind, and Noctis roared in pain, clutching his head, moaning. The blood was getting into his brain. It’s slowly drowning out his train of thought, and replacing it with a raw, primal urge to hunt. To kill. To _survive_.

 

Before he even knew it, he was gone, and all that remains is a monster. A pure, natural werewolf.

 

Panting, Noctis’ whole body relaxed as the pain started ebbing away, and he laid there for a moment, feeling good. Refreshed. _Strong_. Noctis slowly stood up, and glanced at himself into a mirror hanging on the opposite wall. _Damn,_ did he look menacing. His eyes were sparkling blue, and his whole body was a puff of white except for the top of his head to his tail, which was a streak of rich, black fur going from his head, down his back, all the way to the end of his tail. This was what a _true_ monster looked like.

 

After a while, the heat and hunger was driving Noctis insane. He pulled against the chains, growling in annoyance when they didn’t bust. For the next few hours, Noct was tugging at the chains, using any way that his clogged mind could think of. Biting, tugging, jamming, none of them worked. He was starting to get impatient. Noctis roared and howled in rage, tugging at the chains to no prevail.

 

Until the slightest crack formed in one of them.

 

________________________________

 

The fox had been happily sleeping next to the egg, curled around it affectionately. The world was peaceful and quiet until a few moments ago. Suddenly, a roar ripped through the air, waking the fox immediately. It glanced around in the darkness, expecting a bear or some kind of rabid animal. There was nothing. Soon, a howl followed the roar, making the fox curl defensively around the egg. Something was _off_ about these sounds. They aren’t the sounds that other foxes or bears would make. These noises were _primal_. _Raw_. It lusts for _blood_.

 

The fox froze. These sounds could only come from one specific creature, and it was supposedly _extinct_ , so how...? The fox could tell the noise was coming from a room in the building by his nest, and slowly creeped up to the room where the noise was basically echoing around. Making its way upon the open window, the fox could smell a strong, overpowering scent of _wolf_. But not just a regular wolf’s scent. This one was... _off_.

 

Suddenly, a massive creature flung itself at the fox, scaring it off the window ledge. It landed with a thud in the bushes, and yelped in fear. The fox's tail puffed up like a massive cotton ball, and it growled deep in it's throat. It was expecting to see that creature soar out of the window, but it never did. Confused, the fox sauntered its way up to the window again to get a better view of what was going on. Risky, yes, but this fox isn’t the _smartest_ cookie in the world. Peeking over the ledge, the fox gasped. It could see a clear image of the creature now.

 

Its fur was snow white except for a trail of black from its head to its tail, and its blue eyes glistened under the moonlight. It wandered angrily around the confined space, and it was _massive_. This, no doubt, was _definitely_ a werewolf.

 

The fox peeked its head into the window, and stared in awe at the monster in front of its eyes. Now, if this was a _normal_ fox, it would've ran into a different country by now, but this particular fox was odd. After a few minutes, the werewolf in the room had fallen asleep, and the fox sprang into action.

 

Squeezing the rest of its body through the window, the fox landed silently on the floor of the room. Its tail was still puffed up, and its ears were straight and upright. Padding around the room, the fox realized that the only living thing in this chamber was the werewolf. Sneaking up to the beast, the fox sat in front of its massive snout and examined the monster. The fox's entire body was no bigger than the werewolf's forearm. This thing was a behemoth.

 

Suddenly, the beast's eyes snapped open, and blue met wit blue. It's once calm breathing turned into a heavy growl, and the fox could see all the muscles rippling in anticipation. It wanted to kill the fox. The beast desired _blood_.

 

Taken by surprise, the fox yelped, and fell backwards, scrambling into a defensive position. The beast’s eyes shone like daggers, and it lifted its massive body up from the floor. The fox could get a clear visual of just how _massive_ werewolves were. The wolf stared at the fox for a while, as if it were cooking up a certain way to slaughter it.

 

_The neck? The leg? The head?_

 

The werewolf grinned, and licked its lips.

 

_No..._

 

It kneeled down as if preparing the strike, and the fox froze in fear. Its massive tail flicked from one side to the other, as if the beast was a cat playing with a mouse.

 

_The **heart**._

 

The werewolf roared and pounced, its chains dangling noisily behind it. It lunged, and just barely missed the fox. Claw marks littered the floor, tearing up the carpet. The beast spun around in an instant, and knocked the fox to the side with its massive tail. Hitting the metal wall, the fox let out a pained wail, and crumpled to the floor. A red, _delicious_ color seeped out from the side of its head, and the wolf _lusts_ for the scent of more.

 

_Yes... there it is... the substance I **desire** the most..._

 

The werewolf’s shadow loomed over the frail body of the canine, and its eyes shone with bloodlust. It was _horrifying_ to the fox. Whimpering softly, the fox struggled to stand on its legs. The beast lunged again, charging straight for its prey. A trail of saliva flew from its mouth, and its tongue was dangling outside of its parted jaws. The fox squealed, and desperately used all its strength to make it to the windowsill. Making a tight turn at the corner of the room, the beasts’s claws only caught onto the fox’s leg, and gashed a light tear in the skin. Not enough to be a fatal wound, but enough to let blood seep through. The werewolf’s body slammed into the wall, making all the chains shiver. The sound echoed all throughout the building, shaking the walls every room. The beast scrambled up on all fours, a dazed look in its eyes.

 

The fox saw this as an opportunity to flee through the window, and used up all the strength it had left to climb up on the windowsill. Stopping the regain its breath, the fox turned around just in time to see the werewolf lunge for the window. Horrified, the canine had no time to jump out before the creature caught up to it. The fox closed its eyes, expecting a massive claw to tear through its chest, but that never happened.

 

Confused, the fox peeked an eye out. The claws of the beast were less than an inch away from the animal’s head. Surprised, the fox squealed, and stumbled back, staring at the wolf’s gleaming eyes. The fox had to have a few minutes to calm down. Thankfully, the chains were an inch too short to let the wolf completely tear the canine apart.

 

The werewolf growled, and roared in rage, pulling and tugging against the chains, trying to break free from its container. The fox released a breath of relief. Turning to jump out the window and away from that _monster_ , the faintest crack made it turn back towards the restrained beast. It stared in horror. One of the chains on the wolf’s ankle had broken. Soon enough, each remaining chain was starting to crack as the werewolf tugged against them. The fox froze in fear, unable to move any part of its body. The wolf growled and snarled, twisting furiously against its restraints. One by one, the chains broke off.

 

By the time the fox could break out of its fear, there was one last chain that remained on the beast’s wrist. The wolf roared, and pulled against the chain. The fox yelped in terror, and jumped out the window.

 

That’s when the last chain snapped.

 

________________________________

 

Ignis sighed at the dining table. “How do you think Noct’s doing?” He asked uncertainly.

 

Gladio looked up from his book. “Well, the screaming finally stopped, so I suppose the wolf’s taken over him by now.”

 

Aranea just shrugged. “Well, as long as something doesn’t come into the chamber, everything should be fine.” She fiddled with her phone, and started playing a few games to kill time. “God, I swear. Nobody can beat me at _Flappy Wolf._ If anyone wants to challenge me, feel free to try.”

 

Gladio looked up from his cell phone, and smirked. “You sure about that, Aranea?”

 

She laughed out loud. “Oh, _please_.” As Aranea and Gladio shouted and yelled over the game, Ignis decided to leave the two hotheads to argue with themselves.

 

As Ignis walked upstairs into his room, he decided to take a short nap. Noct’s transformation is probably gonna go on for at least a few more hours or so. Laying down on his bed, Ignis sighed as the shouts and screams of Gladio and Aranea died down into nothing. It wasn’t until an hour or so after Ignis fell asleep that he started to hear the sound of chains and growling. Slowly getting up from the bed, Ignis rubbed his head. _Seems like Noct's woken up too..._ Ignis thought as he went to check on the others.

 

Suddenly, an alert flew onto Ignis’s phone. He read the message, and froze. One of the chains had broken. Ignis hurriedly put on his jacket, and ran to notify Aranea and Gladio. It was only a few minutes after Ignis took off down the stairs, that three more alerts flew onto Ignis’ phone, indicating three more broken chains.

 

_This is bad..._

 

Ignis ran down the stairs, yelling and flailing his arms like a maniac. He ran into Gladio, and tried to tell them the problem to the best of his ability. “T-the chains... alerts... N-Noctis...” He began stuttering on his words, shooting them out like bullets. Gladio grabbed the man by the shoulders, and shook him gently.

 

“Calm down, Ignis. We got the alert too.” And with that, the three were racing towards the lock room.

 

_There's no way he could've escaped._

 

_I'm sure this is just a sick prank from some kid._

 

_He's still in there..._

 

_Right...?_

 

________________________________

 

The fox froze in fear as everything started playing in slow motion. The snap of the final chain sounded through his ears, and without a second thought, the fox made a leap of faith out the window. The fall wasn’t that high, but it felt like the fox was falling for an eternity. Soon enough, the wall behind the fox exploded into bricks and scraps of metal. Debris flew out from behind the animal, many catching onto its golden fur, and cut through its skin. The fox flinched. It didn’t dare look back, since it knew that the werewolf was right behind its back. The heat radiating from its massive body felt like a fireplace, but this fireplace that had teeth and claws. _Definitely_ not one you’d want to curl up against.

 

Landing roughly into the bushes, the fox wailed in pain, and scrambled to its legs, panting desperately. It had just barely dodged the body of the werewolf as it landed on the ground with a sickening _thud,_ and ran straight towards the fox, ripping up the bushes and flowers. The fox squealed in horror, and ran out of the garden, jumping gracefully over the fence. However, the fence was no match for the beast. It ripped apart like paper, and chunks of wood flew everywhere. Stepping on some bits of painted wood, the fox grunted in pain as splinters formed under its paws.

 

The fox had been running for what seemed like _forever_ now, and it was certain that the werewolf was right behind it the entire time. By now, the fox was probably running on pure adrenaline alone. It’s never ran this wildly ever in its life, and it was _painful._ The splinters were starting to get stuck deep in its paws, and the trail of blood the fox was leaving was _not_ helping its situation, either.

 

_This is bad._

 

After another enternity of running, the fox swore it could see a tiny crack of light in the trees. At this point, getting out of this forest of death _alive_ was enough to satisfy the animal. As the light grew brighter, the fox squeezed its eyes shut, and dove right into the hole.

 

________________________________

 

Running to the room took a lot longer than expected, since there were about a thousand guards shuffling up the stairs at the same time. Pushing their way through, they were _finally_ approaching the door. As Gladio fumbled with the lock, a sickening _crash_ sounded on the other side of the door, and Ignis’ heart rose up to his throat. All the guards froze.

 

_No... he couldn’t have..._

 

Unlocking the steel door, Gladio swung it open in the blink of an eye, and all three piled in. Their hearts sank. The room was empty. A massive, _gaping_ hole replaced where the window was, and scattered remains of chains littered the floor. Also, there was... _blood_... splattered on one side of the room.

 

_What is this?!_

 

“No...” Ignis whispered, and his legs gave out underneath him. He buried his head in his hands, and shook his head slowly. “This can’t be happening.”

 

Aranea came up behind him, and patted his pack gently. “No need to worry, the collar on him acts as a tracking device and shock collar, so wherever he is right now, it won’t take long to find him.”

 

Ignis looks up at his wife, and smiles slightly. “I sure hope so...” he whispers.

 

________________________________

 

Bright lights instantly blind the fox, and it squeezes its eyes shut, whimpering from all the lights. They were at a town. All kinds of people roamed the streets, and they were all unaware of the threat that would soon bring them to their deaths. The fox howled and wailed, trying his best to warn the humans about the _werewolf_ behind him. Many people noticed the fox immediately, and began awing, saying stupid things like _hi_ , and _cutie_. The fox had no time for this.

 

Suddenly, a massive roar sounded behind him, and the fox ducked down just in time to avoid having its head ripped off by powerful jaws. People around them froze in fear. The werewolf’s body slammed into a shop, making the entire structure crumple into debris. The werewolf slowly rose from the ashes, and stared at all the ghastly faces. It growled low in its throat, and got on all fours, preparing to lunge.

 

_It’s dinner time._

 

The beast licked its lips, its eyes gleaming menacingly under the moonlight. Wagging its tail, the werewolf lunged, its claws spread out as far as they could go, and its jaws pulled back, revealing a set of glowing white canines. People went into a frenzy, running around like terrified ants. Parents led their children away from the beast, and many picked up rakes, shovels, and sharp objects to defend themselves.

 

Suddenly, a shock ran through the werewolf’s body, sending tremors through all its limbs. The electric shock came from the collar on its neck, and the shock waves soon paralyzed the beast. It landed roughly on the street, and convulsed violently.

 

_...where am I...?_

 

_...am I... supposed to bleed?_

 

Gasps were heard all around, and people quickly scurried away as fast as possible.

 

_No... that's not me..._

 

Soon enough, guards started arriving and escorting citizens to safety while others dealt with the wolf. During all this madness, the fox had silently snuck away into one of the bushes.

 

_Am I sleeping...?_

 

The werewolf growled deep in its throat, trying to move its paralyzed body to the best of its capability. Soon, many guards surrounded it, and lifted the wolf up and into a cage. They made sure that the bars were reinforced, and locked the door. The beast roared and snarled in rage, biting and clawing the metal bars, trying to break free from its cage once again. As this continued for the next thirty minutes, the guards decided to dart the beast, so they could actually handle it.

 

________________________________

 

Ignis, Gladio, and Aranea pretty much sprinted the whole way to the scene. Dodging all the fleeing citizens, they finally came to an opening.

 

Gladio went and spoke to a guard, asking them how bad the situation was.

 

"Sir, the beast nearly _killed_ a handful of Insomnia's citizens." The guard answered seriously, gripping his weapon tighter.

 

Gladio lowered his head. "This was my fault. I thought that the restraints were enough to hold him back..."

 

The guard nodded sadly. "I'm aware of the incident, but these outbreaks _must_ stop. For the sake of Insomnia's people."

 

Arsenal came up behind the guard, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Yes, I'm _terribly_ sorry about tonight. We'll figure this out soon. There _will not_ be an execution for this. _Right,_ mister?" She glared at the guard with a keen smile on her face.

 

The man froze. "E-eh? No m-ma am."

 

Aranea's gaze softened. " _Perfect_ ," she chirped, and walked away.

 

Gladio laughed and patted the guard's back. "Trust me, pal. It there's one woman you _don't_ want to trigger, it's _her_."

 

The guard sighed in relief. "Y-yeah. No kidding."

 

________________________________

 

_I'm not there..._

 

_Where am I?_

 

_How did I get here...?_

 

_Who... am I?_

 

_I have to get out..._

 

Noctis woke up in darkness. "W-what?" Standing up, a small, faded screen was the only source of light in this abyss.

 

As Noctis walked towards the light, the screen flickered on, revealing the... streets of Insomnia?

 

"What the...?" Noctis muttered, taking a closer look.

 

It was definitely Insomnia. There were... a lot of people.

 

_Guards..._

 

As Noctis inspected the screen more clearly, he could tell the people were worried, judging from their ghastly faces. But why were they so frightened?

 

Nothing was matching up.

 

Just then, a group of guards cleared out, revealing something behind them. Noctis froze. In the middle of the crowd was a wolf. Not just any wolf. A _werewolf_. It was _him_.

 

Noctis backed away for a second.

 

_How did I escape...?_

 

_When did this happen?_

 

_I have to get back in control. **Now.**_

 

Noctis pushed against the screen, trying to break through the barrier separating his soul and his body. After a few minutes of pushing to no avail, Noctis grew impatient.

 

“C’mon, let me go back, already!” Noctis grunted, slamming his fists against the screen. Leaning against the barrier, Noctis sighed, and wiped sweat off his forehead. “Fuck!” He cursed loudly, and bashed his head against the screen. Soft, deep droplets of blood dripped from the glass, and landed quietly onto the floor. Noctis stared at the view behind the screen. More people were surrounding his body. There was one specific person that... looked... _familiar._

 

_Ignis..._

 

“Ignis?” Noct asked. Silence answered. He couldn’t hear Noctis anyway. He watched as Ignis kneeled beside the wolf, and stroked its fur gently, muttering something.

 

_What were you thinking..._

 

“Ignis!” Noct shouted, only to get no answer, again. He pushed frantically at the screen, face pressing into the view.

 

_You could’ve gotten hurt..._

 

“It’s me!”

 

_Aranea and Gladio were scared to the bone when they found out..._

 

Noctis rammed his body into the barrier. “Please!” The slightest crack rung throughout the dark silence.

 

_Naughty child..._

 

He kept firing blows to the barrier. More cracks appeared, and the screen flickered.

 

_When you wake up, I’ve got an extra long lecture with your name on it..._

 

“Guys! I’m right here!” Noctis delivered one last headbutt to the barrier, and that had done it. The screen flickered black. Shattered pieces of light flew in all directions. He’d broken through.

 

_Welcome back._

 

________________________________

 

After a while, the werewolf had completely disappeared. What remained is a boy, surrounded by a massive pile of fur. Ignis stayed through the whole process, and kneeled by the boy’s side, stroking his black hair gently.

 

“Welcome back.”

 

________________________________

 

As the fox ran through tree after tree, it finally reached the Lucis household. Limping to the garden, the creature avoided the chunks of wood and debris littered on the ground, and looked for a certain flowerbed.

 

_The nest._

 

Walking around the garden, the fox spotted a fluff of hay in one pile of roses.

 

_Bingo._

 

He bounded over to the nest, praying that the egg was unharmed during the whole chase. Spotting a hint of white in the hay, the fox sighed in relief. Digging the dusty egg up from the ruined nest, the fox gently grabbed the egg in its jaws, and took off into the bushes.

 

________________________________

 

The fox seemed to be running for a day or two. It shakily approached a cave, and darted into the hole. Setting the chocobo egg down by a rock so it won’t roll away, the fox collapsed on the stone ground.

 

“What’d I tell you about that place?” A jagged, scratchy voice came out of the darkness. The fox slowly raised its head in annoyance, groaning in irritation.

 

A tall, blood red fox slipped out of the darkness with a sly look on its face. It was probably even bigger than the other fox, and its whole body was covered in scars.

 

The smaller fox turned its head in annoyance. “So what if you did, Ardyn? I had to make sure myself.”

 

The bigger fox threw its head back in laughter, and morphed into a man. He had dangly strands of red hair, and wore a dark, thick trench coat. “You can’t trust humans, junior. They just don’t meet the expectations of Kitsunes.”

 

The other fox grunted, and morphed into its own human form. He had golden, blonde hair like a chocobo’s, and freckles littered his entire body. Crossing his arms, the younger kitsune grumbled under his breath. “It wasn’t a human, Ardyn. It was a _werewolf_.” Ardyn tilted his head in confusion.

 

“What do you mean? Werewolves are _extinct,_ Prompto.”

 

The blonde whipped his head around, glaring at the older kitsune. “I thought so too!” He pouted, flailing his arms in the air. “But... there was no mistaking it. That guy... it was _massive_!”

 

Ardyn smirked. “That’s what she said,” he teased.

 

Prompto snarled at the man. “Get out!”

 

“She said _that_ too.”

 

“Ardyn, I’m not joking! The sounds, the size, the fur! Regular wolves aren’t any bigger than me! That _thing_ was at _least_ the size of three kitsunes combined!”

 

Ardyn rubbed his chin. “Hmm... interesting. Did you happen to catch this person’s _name_?”

 

Prompto nodded. “Yeah. When I was escaping, I heard the others calling him _Noctis_.”

 

The older man chuckled lightly. “I see... so the rumors are true then. There _is_ a beast lurking in Insomnia after all.”

 

Prompto looked at him questioningly. “What are you planning?”

 

Ardyn smirked. “Get plenty of rest, Prompto. Tomorrow, you’re going with the pack to Insomnia.” Prompto nodded, and slowly went into one of the many smaller caves in the cavern. Collapsing onto the floor, he closed his eyes, and let the warm embrace of sleep envelope him.

 

_I wonder..._

 

_If he’s also..._

 

_Alone..._

 

_Like me._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, people! So, how was it? Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as how much I enjoyed writing it. See? Prompto was going to show up some time! Never doubt an author, readers. I don’t really have much to say besides my excitement for where this story’s going so far. Do you agree with me? If so, comment on this story and give me your feedback! Ok, enough from me now. Peace out, rainbow trouts!


	3. Threatening Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi, people. Long time no see! Sorry for the wait. Biology homework is really a pain in the ass sometimes. Anyway, this chapter contains a little violence, and by little, I mean a-lot-but-not-that-much violence. Nothing too rough though. Noctis and Prompto have a little rough start. Anyway, enough from me. I’ll meet you on the other side of the story. Bye!

Prompto shuffled into his clothes hurriedly, not bothering to comb his messy, crazed-out hair. Checking the time, he smiled. 

 

_6 a.m._

 

He was always an early bird. The others in the cavern couldn’t stand him, but Prompto just shrugged them off. He was one of the best hunters in the pack, and he liked that. It meant that he got to eat first, and have all the ladies he could ever want. Yes, he was a lady’s man, but he didn’t care. Nobody dared challenged him for his position. Walking out of his cave chamber, Prompto went out the cavern, and wandered to the edge of the cliff.

 

_It was beautiful._

 

Prompto’s still young, but he’s seen a lot of beautiful things. Ladies, men, chocobos. But the sunrise took the cake. It always did. The way clouds seem to mix with the horizon, and the ways those colors mixed and flowed freely _mesmerized_ him. The morning breeze flushed through his hair, making it feel as light as a feather. It was like looking at a goddess. The tip of the sun was just starting to peek out. It’s bright, golden light covering everything in sight. Prompto sighed peacefully, and sat on the edge of the cliff. He wished this moment would last forever. Tilting his head back, Prompto allowed the golden rays of sunlight to cover his body, embracing the feeling of warmth stretching over his entire body.

 

_Right now, everything in life was perfect._

 

Prompto didn’t realize how long he had been bathing in the light, but soon enough, other kitsunes were starting to wake up as well. Stretching and yawning, they shuffled around each other, dressing up in the same clothing as Prompto. The current leader of the pack walked up to Prompto.

 

“Prompto.” He sighed, his voice raspy with old age.

 

The young kitsune turned around to look at the elder, and smirked. Standing up, Prompto brushed the dirt off his clothes. “Morning, Ardyn,” He chirped, smiling lightly. “Thought you’d _never_ wake up.”

 

Ardyn chuckled lightly. “What, you thought I was really dead this time?”

 

“Not ‘thought.’ I _knew_.”

 

The elder fox sighed. “Not the first time I’ve heard that...”

 

“True, true...” Prompto smirked. “So, what time am I leaving, boss?”

 

Ardyn smiled. “Soon. As soon as the sun is fully in the sky, you go. Cindy, Drautos, and Nyx will be accompanying you on this mission.”

 

Prompto rolled his eyes. “Boss, you _know_ I’m the strongest fighter in this pack. Surely, I can retrieve the kid by myself. The others would just slow my down, anyway.”

 

The leader sighed, and crossed his arms. “Yes, I’m well aware of your abilities, Prompto, but your carelessness can be devastating, if not taken care of properly.” And with that, Ardyn patted the blonde’s shoulder, and sauntered back into the cavern. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of your egg while you’re gone.”

 

Prompto grunted under his breath. “Old man... you _better_."

 

_I’m curious about this ‘Noctis’ that others speak about..._

 

_This time, I’ll make sure to show him some of **my** abilities as well._

 

_______________________________

 

Noctis groaned. Blinking his tired eyes awake, he yawned. _Passionately_. Sitting up groggily, he realized that he was in his bed, not the lock room. Confused and tired, Noctis stumbled out of bed, and staggered to the bathroom.

 

_God, I smell like **shit**. _

 

Cranking the water on, Noctis stepped into the shower, and sighed pleasantly as the warm water gently washed over his sore body. Showers were the solution to everything besides sleeping, in his opinion.

 

Stepping out of the shower, Noctis dried himself off, and put on a loose hoodie. Glancing at himself in the mirror, Noctis cringed. His whole face looked sunken, and heavy bags nestled right under his dull eyes.

 

_Sweet Jesus. What **happened** to me? _

 

Walking out of his room, Noctis gasped at the lock room on the opposite side of the hallway. The red carpet was all crumpled up, and footprints littered the floor.

 

_Gross. I just washed my feet._

 

Walking towards the lock room, Noctis unlocked the lock on the heavy metal door, and pushed it open with all his strength. Noctis froze.

 

_What... **happened** in here...? _

 

Little pieces of broken chains littered the floor, claw marks were _everywhere_ , and there was a _gaping_ , fucking, **hole** where one wall should’ve been. Not to mention the blood splattered on the walls. Noctis felt bad for the maid. It’s a _pain_ vacuuming fur off the floor. _Especially_ werewolf fur. Wait... _wolf_ fur... claw marks... broken chains... hole.

 

_Oh fuck._

 

It all makes sense now. Why Noctis was so exhausted, why he smelled like _saliva_ , why the lockroom was this way. This was _his_ doing.

 

_Dammit_...

 

Noctis slammed his fist against the wall. It’s been so long now. Sixteen years packs a _lot_ of transformations, and after all this time, he _still_ hasn’t learned to control his transformation yet. Noctis’ read about ancient werewolves back then. How easily they could transform to and back in mere seconds. That was part of the reason why they were such fierce fighters. Their proud, magnificent fur flowing through the wind, standing boldly on top of anything. Cliffs, plains, _mountains_. That just make Noctis feel like the rung of their species.

 

_The last werewolf. How cute._

 

Noctis shakes his head angrily. “No...” he grumbles. “I’m gonna show them... I’m gonna prove myself to everyone. _Especially_ myself.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

The woods are a beautiful mixture of red, orange, and yellow in the fall. The cold, fresh breeze blows past Prompto’s fur gently. He _loves_ this time of year. Prompto swore he could spend a whole _week_ just staring at those leaves. It’s his way of calming down.

 

“We’re almost here,” Prompto whispered to the rest. “I can feel the presence of humans.”

 

“About time,” Drautos sighs. “Can’t wait to get in there and taste some human blood. It’s _deliciously_ sweet.” His black ears twitch in anticipation.

 

Prompto sighs, and flicks his tail in disapproval. “We’re here to capture someone, not to cause a scene.”

 

Cindy snickers, and runs up beside Prompto. “So, where is this _someone_ you’re talking about? Is it a male or female? Um, not that it matters to me that much...”

 

“If it doesn’t matter to you, there’s no point in me telling you,” Prompto grunts.

 

Cindy’s eyes widen. “W-wait, that came out wrong! I’m just curious who this _someone_ is, that’s all!” Her brown tail flicks to one side, waving left and right.

Prompto chuckles. “Just kidding, drama queen. It’s a guy.”

Cindy sighs in relief.

 

_Thank the lord. If it was a **girl** , I swear..._

 

Prompto continues. “Also, this kid isn’t _some **one**._”

 

Cindy and Nyx glance at him questioningly.

 

“He’s _some_ **thing.”**

 

_And I still haven’t figured it out fully yet._

 

As they approach an opening in the forest, the kitsunes all skid to a halt. “There it is...” Prompto concludes. “The _great_ city of Insomnia.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Noctis felt weird all day at school today. It’s like, something else like him was... _near_. He couldn’t get his mind to focus on that _something_ , but he was sure it wasn’t human. The signals they give off are dull and muted, and Noctis barely pays attention to them. But _this_ particular feeling... was almost like it was _calling_ out to him. Was it a warning? A greeting? Hell, it could be an invitation to go live underground in a _ditch_ for all he knew, but he couldn’t quite shake the noise out of his head.

 

During classes, Noctis didn’t even pay attention to the teacher. He’d spent all of school gazing out the window, gazing into the city. _Looking_ for something.

 

“Noct?” His teacher sighed.

 

Noct’s head immediately snapped to her direction, eyes like a hawk’s. Rummaging through his papers, Noctis cleared his throat. “U-uh, yes?”

 

“I called on you, Noctis,” she explained uncertainly. “What’s the answer to the question?”

 

Noctis fumbled his hand through his hair. “I-uh, what was the question again?”

 

Laughter spurt out in the classroom.

 

The teacher sighed. “Silence, everyone.” Leaning down to face Noctis, she looked him straight in the eye. “What’s the monomer of a nucleic acid, Noctis?”

 

Noct grunted. “Dunno. _What_ is it?”

Snickers echoed around the room. The teacher put her hand on Noct’s desk. “Well, you would know if you had your textbook with you, Noctis,” she whispered.

“Ok.” Noct replied simply.

 

“Aand where is your textbook?”

 

“At home.”

 

The teacher grumbled in disappointment. “Can you explain _what_ it’s doing there?”

 

Noctis threw his hands up behind his head. “Having more fun than _me_.”

 

Laughter bursted out in the classroom, alarming _both_ Noctis and the teacher.

 

“Settle _down_ , class,” the teacher tried to say, waving hands through the air like crazy. “Don’t make me bring Cor in here!” Silence overthrew the sound in less than a second. It was... rude, but satisfying at the same time. The teacher turned to Noctis. “Noct, I’m going to have to write you a detention note forrrr... what?!” The seat was empty. Noctis was gone.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Noctis stretched his back in the air. Biology was never his forte. Or _any_ class, for that matter. Running through the streets on Insomnia, the calling was getting stronger and stronger now. So overpowering, Noctis had to leave the classroom, or his brain would collapse. At the beginning of the day, the buzzing in his head was light and noticeable, but now, it was like a needle piercing his head.

 

_What **is** this??_

 

Rubbing his head in his hands, Noctis continued to run down the street, looking for the cause of the signals. Occasionally tripping ever few steps, other citizens looked at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was. After all, he _did_ run down this street a few days ago as a damn _monster_.

 

He didn’t blame them.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“What’s this for?” Drautos asked, his black tail swiping around his legs.

 

“It’s just something that’ll make this mission a _whole_ lot easier,” Prompto replies. “The city of Insomnia is massive, and if we were to look through ever crook and crack of it, we would be taking _weeks_.”

 

“Well then, what’s this spray gonna do?” Nyx added on.

 

“This is supposed to cover our scents with the smell of a female werewolf,” Prompto answers. “Males can smell and feel females from a mile away. Soon, _he’ll_ be the one coming to _us_.”

 

Cindy snorted. “So, you’re just making us smell like a werewolf in _heat_? Not cool.”

 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s cool or not. Orders are orders.”

 

Cindy grumbled in disapproval. “Fine, whatever.” Her chestnut tail wrapped around one of her legs. “I’m _curious_ what a werewolf looks like. After all, we’ve only learned about them as cryptids in a book.”

 

“Yeah...” Prompto agreed. “Now, we wait.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

The buzzing seems to be getting stronger everytime Noctis approached the walls on Insomnia. Whatever this feeling is coming from, it’s outside Insomnia.

 

_Is this a joke?_

 

Normally, Noctis would sneak out of the city without a second thought, but he sensed something was _off_.

 

The scent smells so much like _him_ , another werewolf, but could it be? The Lucis line was the last known family of werewolves for decades, and Regis died years ago. Is there some secret sanctuary that the rest of his kind have been hiding in?

 

_It smells like a female._

 

Another werewolf by itself was a massive discovery, but the fact that it was _female_ , meaning that Noctis could revive his species, _that_ was groundbreaking news.

 

Before he knew it, Noctis found himself sneaking out of Insomnia. Instead of wrapping his head around how _suspicious_ this was, Noctis continued with the plan. Clearly, he wasn't the smartest cookie in the jar.

 

Crawling into one of the air vents, Noct has to duck his ears and tail down so he could fit through. The passageway was just as he had expected. Dark, damp, and gloomy. Dirt smudged onto his shorts and shirt. He knew Ignis would give him a long lecture for this. Wriggling through the other side of the vent, Noctis stands up and brushes the dirt off his clothes and ears.

 

_It’s getting stronger... I can **taste** it._

 

Following the scent, Noctis realizes that it goes into the forest. A feeling of fear slowly creeps its way up his spine. His tail fluffs up a little, and he swallows. This could either be mind blowing, or it could go _bad_. The risk is definitely in the back of his brain, but Noctis shakes his mind and continues following the scent.

 

He’s already snuck outside of school _and_ Insomnia now. He’s in too deep. Besides, things can’t possibly go _that bad... right?_

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Drautos jitters with excitement, and is now pacing in circles around the others. “I can’t wait to taste some of his flesh,” he says, saliva dripping from his parted jaws. “Werewolf meat must be _pure_ and _succulent_.”

 

Cindy sighs. “You’re hopeless,” she complains. “We’re here to _capture_ the kid, not _eat_ him.”

 

“Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t have a little _sample_ while we’re at it.” Drautos smirks, and licks his lips in anticipation. Nyx just shakes his head.

 

“Guys, quiet,” Prompto suddenly whispers. “Quick, _hide_. He’s close.”

 

Cindy, Drautos, and Nyx all clear out, and settle themselves either in a tree or a bush. Prompto shifts into his human form, and raises a hand. “Wait for my signal.”

 

His golden tail flicks curiously in the grass.

 

_It’s showtime._

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Noctis could literally _feel_ the scent pressing on him now. It was so strong, he thought it would burn his nostrils. Walking through the dense forest, Noctis pauses at a particular clearing in the woods. No grass was growing on the ground. This was where the scent was practically _radiating_ off from. He could tell that there was someone standing in the middle of the bald spot. A... guy?

 

_So it’s **not** a woman... damn._

 

Uncertainly, Noctis slowly walks towards the other male, his ears twitching in suspicion.

 

_What’s a guy doing standing alone in the middle of the woods?_

 

“Who are you...?” Noctis asks, looking at the blonde suspiciously. “Do you have any business here?”

 

The man doesn’t answer. Noctis analyzes the guy, searching for possible threats on his body. His eyes land on those golden ears and tail. This wasn’t a human.

 

_Kitsune..._

 

“You’re a kitsune.”

 

The man smirks.

 

Noctis gets creepy vibes off this guy. “What are you doing here? Are you lost or something? Give me an answer, here!”

 

The blonde looks up at Noctis. His blue eyes completely match the other’s. “Is there something you want to _know_?”

 

Noctis jolts at the sudden reply. _Creepy..._ “all the other questions that I asked you.”

 

The man smiles. “I’m Prompto. I’m a traveler visiting Insomnia, in search for a certain _someone_.” Noctis frowns. “Now, care to explain what you’re doing here all by yourself, boy?”

 

Noctis rolls his eyes. “ _You’re_ one to talk. What are you doing standing all by yourself in the woods?”

 

Prompto grins. “Who said I was alone?” He holds up a fist, and three kitsunes sprung from the trees and bushes, charging at Noctis. The boy jolts away, and immediately gets into a defensive position.

 

“The hell!!” He growls and catches a brown fox, throwing it off his shoulder and onto the bare ground. It lands with a _thump_ , and rolls into a tree. Prompto grins.

 

_So, he’s capable of self defense. Not that it’ll matter that much._

 

A gray fox charges into Noctis, and barrels him over. “Ow, that hurt, ya know!” He shouts, and grabs the fox’s tail, flinging it into a trunk. Suddenly, a midnight black flash of fur shot past his eyes, and Noctis felt all the air knocked out of him. Although Noctis was strong, he was no match for four massive foxes. The damage he’s done will definitely leave some nasty bruises and scratches, but it wasn’t enough to be fatal. They would just keep getting back up.

 

All this time, Prompto had just sat back and watched, waiting until the target was finally willing to surrender. He had to admit though, he never expected a werewolf to be this... _attractive_. Normally, the werewolves they learn about are all drawn like bears. But... _damn._ What’s gotten into his mind? No matter what he looks like, Prompto’s on a mission. Looks don’t matter to him. He shakes the thoughts out, and focuses back on the struggle in front of him.

 

While Noctis was busy tangling with the gray kitsune, the black one had snuck up behind him, and before he could turn around to block it, the fox had taken a _good_ bite out of his shoulder. “God, you guys are _really_ starting to **piss** me off!” Noctis growls in rage, and kicked the gray fox in the face while grabbing onto the fur of the other, flinging it off his back.

 

The black fox gets back up, and licked its bloodstained lips greedily. “Mmmm...” it purrs. “Just like I imagined. _Pure_ and _succulent_.” Noctis groaned, clutching his injured shoulder. Blood seeped through the wound like a river.

 

_Well great._

 

"Drautos!" The brown kitsune hissed. "I said _no_ eating!"

 

Drautos looked in her direction, and pouted. "It was just one bite, Cindy..."

 

"No! That doesn't make up for the damage you've done to the guy! He's gonna bleed to death before we even get him to the cave!"

 

"He's a _werewolf_ , Cindy, calm down!"

 

"So what if he's a werewolf?? That doesn't help the situation here!"

 

"Aren't all werewolves supposed to be stronger than kitsunes? These attacks shouldn't even phase him!"

 

Noctis stared confusingly at the two foxes.

 

"Well, it's certainly _phasing_ him, Drautos!" Cindy roared.

 

_Cindy and Drautos, huh..._

 

"Well, seems like the last one is broken, then," Drautos snorts, his black tail swishing over his head.

 

"Drautos!" Cindy shouted.

 

As the foxes argued over an appetite, they didn't notice that Noctis had picked up a rock, and was inching his way towards them.

 

"This is _your_ fault!" Cindy hissed.

 

"Well, _sorry_ I got hungry!" Drautos shouted back.

 

"Ardyn's gonna kill us!"

 

"Oh, shut up, will you? I doubt that pile of bones could even _scratch_ us." Drautos sighs. "Let's just finish what we started. If he dies, he di-"

 

Suddenly, a rock was bashed against the older fox's head and Drautos staggered back, roaring in agony before collapsing on the bare ground, whimpering with fear and rage. 

 

Cindy stumbled back in surprise. "The hell?!"

 

Noctis smirked. "How's _that_ for a broken little werewolf?"

 

Cindy growled low in her throat. Getting ready to pounce, her chestnut brown tail bristling with anger. "Hey, you interrupted my arguement! I was about to squish Drautos to the ground!"

 

Noctis snorted. "He's already on the ground." He pointed to the black fox's unconscious body. "You're welcome."

 

"Why you little..." Cindy pounced, and Noctis easily dodged it. Nyx came in from the side, and tried to knock the kid over.

 

Noctis whipped around, and grabbed the gray fox's snout, flinging him into Cindy's body. They grunted in pain, and tumbled to the ground.

 

Prompto smirked from the tree. "Not bad, for a snack."

 

Noctis glared at the blonde. "How about you get down from there, and I'll give you a firsthand experience on what I can _really_ do.”

 

"Boss, just finish him so we can bring him back!" Nyx growled. "Ardyn's gonna be upset if we come back late with a _dead_ corpse!"

 

Prompto just silenced them with a flick of his tail. “Don’t worry, I already know what you can do,” he growls. Cracking his knuckles, Noctis glares at the blonde.

 

“You sure about that, blondie?” He snarls, and jumps, trying to swipe Prompto off the tree. The kitsune easily dodges his attack, and lands gracefully on the ground.

 

Morphing into a fox, Prompto smirks. “Give me everything you’ve got.” Noctis growled and pounced, trying to squash the fox to the ground. Again, Prompto easily, and hopped behind Noctis. “Too slow,” he grins. Noctis whips around and snatches Prompto’s wrist. Tugging the man towards him, Noctis runs a fist right at the other’s face. His fist hits an open palm, slowly curling around it. Prompto smirks. “Gotta try harder than that to hit me, bro.” And with that, he kicked the other in the stomach.

 

Noctis groaned in pain, and released his grip on Prompto’s wrist. “Ow...” curling into himself, his voice whimpered. Prompto took action, and pinned the other to the ground. He smiles, and calls the others. He then halted when the whimpers turned into laughter. “Heh heh... ha... haha... HA HA!” The blonde ordered the others to keep their distance. They nodded, and jumped back.

 

Noctis sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. “Well, didn’t think I’d have to use this, but it seems like you leave me no choice.”

 

_Not that I would_ **ever** _want it..._

 

Closing his eyes, Noctis calls the inner _demon_ inside him. For a moment, the forest was dead silent except for the rustling of leaves.

 

_**What do you want?** _

 

_I want you to give me your power._

 

_**Ha! Why would I do that?! You never called for me, anyway. Why should times be different now?** _

 

_Look. If you help me, I’ll let you take over my body for a while._

 

_**Hmmmm... that’s strange, coming from you.** _

 

_Times are different, now. I’m about to get **kidnapped**. **Again.**_

 

_**Seems like others are way too desperate for me.** _

 

_Ok, so what is it? Are you gonna help me or not?_

 

_**Ugh. Fine. I’ll lend you my power this time. I’m not going to take over your body, since if you can learn to handle my power, you can just freely use it. You don’t have to keep annoying me to get it.** _

 

_Thanks, Carbuncle. You’re sooooo soft under there..._

 

_**Hey, do you want me to change my mind?** _

 

_Okay, okay. See ya later, bro._

 

_**Whatever. Just... don’t die. Okay?** _

 

_Promise._

 

Noctis snaps his eyes open, and smirks. His body immediately starts changing. Bones rearrange themselves, and fur sprouts from every part of his body. Normally, this process was extremely painful, but this was... different. If _you_ make the transformation occur, it’s not painful. Just feels weird. His teeth sharpen into canines, and a deep growl emits from his throat. Prompto curses, and jumps off the beast, scurrying back. His tail curls protectively around his leg.

 

“Uh, _boss_?” Cindy stutters, pointing at the beast in front of them. “Is that...?” Prompto curses, and his ears flatten against his head.

 

“Shit. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to deal with this...” growling, Prompto orders everyone to get into an attack formation. “On my signal,” he snarls.

 

Noctis glares at the four foxes, and his pupils dilate. He charged for Prompto, claws scraping the dirt.

 

“Now!” Prompto’s hand forms into a fist, and the other three foxes lunged at Noctis, biting into his fur. Noctis barreled Cindy over, and grabbed Drautos by the tail. Nyx jumped onto his back, and dug his claws into soft flesh. Roaring, Noctis tumbled around the area, leaving cracks in the ground. Cindy yelped, and ran out of the way before she was turned into a pancake. Literally. Slamming his back into a tree, Nyx whined and lost his grip on the werewolf’s back. Noctis noticed, and snapped his jaws around Nyx’s leg. Yelping, Nyx struggled to free his leg, but it only made the pain worse. Noctis threw the fox’s body around like a toy, slamming it on one side of the ground, then slamming it on the other. After a painfully long moment, Nyx stopped struggling, and went limp between the werewolf’s jaws. Noctis smirked, and decided it was time to end this. Flinging the limp body into a tree, the trunk snapped with a sickening _crack, along with the fox’s spine._

 

“Nyx!” Cindy wailed, and rushed over to the fallen hunter. Pushing the limp body with her nose, Cindy’s eyes got misty. “No, no no NO!” Noctis just looked in her direction with a rock-hard gaze.

 

“Not so much of a broken dog, now, am I?” He sneers. Shaking the blood off his body, Noctis started walking towards the chestnut furred fox.

 

“Stay away from her, you monster!” Drautos shouts, and pounces onto the werewolf. Noctis staggers back, and growls in his throat.

 

“ _You’re_ one to talk,” Noctis groans. “ _You’re_ the one who literally took a _bite_ outta me.”

 

“I wasn’t planning to kill you, at least!” Drautos growls, and sinks his teeth into Noct’s neck. Noctis snarls, and twists his head to try and grab the black fox, so he could meet the same fate as his friend. Staggering in the dirt, the whole thing was like a massive pile of fur and claws. Noctis finally grabs onto Drautos’ tail, and slams his body into the ground repeatedly.

 

He was just about to break the other fox’s neck until a sharp pain emitted from his hind leg. Noctis roars in pain, and let’s go of Drautos. The black fox scurries away in an instant. Growling, Noctis turns around to see a spark of golden fur latched onto his leg.

 

“Prompto...” Noctis snarls, and kicks the fox off. The blonde doesn’t hesitate any longer, and lunges onto the beast’s back. “I see now,” Noctis growls. “So _you’re_ that one fox that broke into the lockroom that night. Heard you ran back to your cave with your tail between your legs.”

 

Prompto doesn’t answer, and starts ripping white fur out of Noctis’ neck. Sinking his teeth into tender flesh, Prompto could taste the blood flowing in his mouth. Snarling, Noctis jumps around, trying to shake the golden fox off his back. After a few minutes of no success, Noctis begins to feel weary from blood loss. “You’re like a fucking _bug_!” Noctis roars.

 

Prompto smirks. Sinking his claws into the beast’s back, Noctis let out another cry of pain. He slams his back onto as many trees as the forest has, but Prompto stays stuck onto his back. Blood poured out of his neck like a god damn river, and soon, Noctis’ vision started going blurry from blood loss.

 

Noctis regretted not taking out the other two foxes before, because soon after Prompto latched onto his back like a damn disease, Cindy and Drautos pounced onto him as well, digging their teeth and claws into his body. He was getting desperate at this point. Rolling in the floor, jumping frantically, roaring in rage. Nothing worked. Soon enough, after staggering around for what seemed like an eternity, Noct’s limbs gave out, and he collapsed on the torn ground.

 

Prompto released his jaws from the beast’s neck, and morphed back into a human. He wiped his hand over his mouth, and licked the blood off his fingers. Cindy changed into her human form after Prompto. “Mission successful...” Prompto smirked.

 

Cindy looked back at Nyx. The kitsune was sprawled on the ground, wheezing and gasping from pain. Running towards the hunter, Cindy scooped the man’s arm over her shoulder, and went over to Prompto. “Let’s go,” she whispered. Prompto nodded, and looked over at Drautos.

 

The hunter flicked his tail in understanding, and padded over to Noctis. He stood over the boy for a while, thinking about getting another _sample_ to taste, but pushed the thought aside. After he had collapsed, the boy had turned back into his human form. Positioning the boy on his back, Drautos looked over to Prompto.

 

“Let’s go,” the blonde sighed, and took off.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

The sunsets in Insomnia were always gorgeous. Ignis hummed to himself as he drove to the mansion. Opening the huge double doors, he stepped in to find Gladio and Aranea sitting at a table together, drinking tea. Gladio noticed Ignis, and turned to face him, his tea sloshing in the teacup.

 

“Ignis, where’s Noctis?” Gladio asked. Ignis glanced confusingly at the soldier.

 

“I thought you were training with him after school,” Ignis questioned.

 

Gladio shook his head. “He didn’t even come _home_.”

 

Ignis’ eyes widened. “What?! Where is he??”

 

“We’re asking _you_ , Ignis,” Aranea mutters. “Maybe he’s at the arcade again, or something.”

 

Ignis put his jacket back on, and grabbed the car keys. “I gotta go find him,” he sighed, concern tracing his voice.

 

Aranea stood up. “Wait, Ignis, you’re going alone?”

 

“It’ll be faster this way,” Ignis replies, and shut the door.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

It was getting dark. Thankfully foxes have night vision, or Prompto was sure he would’ve ran into a million trees by now. Drautos was right behind him, Noctis still perched on his back as he ran. Cindy was starting to drag behind after carrying Nyx for so long, and Prompto knew they had to take a break soon.

 

Settling for a small crook of trees, Prompto slowed to a light trot. “Ok, let’s rest here for a bit,” he sighed, and sat down on a boulder. Cindy set Nyx’s body down on the ground, and laid back, panting. Drautos slid Noctis off his back, and laid him on the ground as well. Morphing into a human, he sat on a tree stump and rubbed his neck.

 

“Jeez, that wolf kid shed all over me,” he complained. He snatched tufts of white fur on his jacket and flung it on the ground.

 

Cindy snickered. “Heh, you look like a snowball!” Drautos just glanced at her, pushing her face gently. “Hey! Stop that!” She whined.

 

“Shouldn’t have called me a snowball then,” the older fox chuckled.

 

Prompto just gazed at the ground for a while.

 

_I wonder what Ardyn needs a werewolf for..._

 

Lifting his head up, Prompto faced the others. “Hey guys?”

 

Cindy and Drautos turned to look at their leader questioningly. “Hm?” Cindy asked.

 

“What do you think Ardyn’s planning to do with the guy?” Prompto sighs.

 

Cindy shrugs. “I dunno, probably just going to extract its blood for his weird experiments, I guess...”

 

Drautos nodded. “Yeah. Besides, why do you ask? Are you _worried_ about the kid?”

 

Prompto shook his head. “I-uh, no. I’m just curious, that’s all.”

 

Drautos leaned in closer to Prompto. “You sure, boss?” He sneered. “I dunno, he’s pretty attractive for a monster. Just wipe all the dirt and blood off his face, and he’ll look as good as new!”

 

Prompto sighed. “What are you getting at?”

 

“Maybe you have some secret _bond_ or _weakness_ for kids?” Drautos chuckles.

 

Prompto whipped around to look at the hunter. “What?! What kind of things go on in that head of yours??” Drautos just shrugs it off.

 

“I know I saw a blush there, boss,” he teased.

 

“Shut up!” Prompto threatened at turned his head. Drautos continued to joke. Cindy just laughed as the two argued. Turning to Nyx, she walked over to the hunter.

 

“How are you feeling?” She asks. “Can you drink something?” Nyx just nods, and slowly opens his mouth. Cindy pulls a canteen out of her travel pocket, and carefully feeds the water into Nyx’s mouth. After swallowing, Nyx sighs, and rests his head on the cold ground.

 

“Don’t worry about Prompto and Drautos. They’re just professional hot-heads. Nyx stifles out a scratchy laugh.

 

“I swear, Drautos, I’m going to put _shit_ in that mouth of yours if you don’t stop!” Prompto yells.

 

“Okay, jeez, boss!” Drautos backs away. “I just have to ask you one more thing.”

“What??” Prompto whips around to face the other kitsune.

Drautos smirks. “Are you planning to... _know_ each other when we get to base?”

 

Prompto flushes. “WHAT!?” His face was a bright pink now. Drautos just laughs.

 

“I was just kidding, bro! No need for _that_! Even though I loved that reaction of yours.”

 

“Shut up!” Prompto shouts. Drautos just makes a kissy face.

 

“I wonder what a fox and wolf hybrid would look like...”

 

“That’s it! We’re leaving!” Prompto bursts. “Everyone, get up!”

 

“Whaaat??” Drautos whines. “But we just sat down!”

 

“Yeah, Prompto.” Cindy adds in.

 

“I don’t care! Just get up! We’re advancing!” Prompto morphs into a fox. His tail bristling with anger and... a hint of... _embarrassment._

 

“Uuuuuugh, fine!” Drautos sighs, and morphs back into his fox form. Positioning Noctis onto his back, Drautos padded up behind Prompto. Cindy draped Nyx’s arm around her shoulder, and followed behind Drautos.

 

“Let’s go,” Prompto growled, and took off into the night.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Ignis was getting worried at this point. He had checked every possible place that Noctis usually goes, and found nothing. The arcade, the school, the gym, even the garden. Driving back to the mansion, Ignis wallows through the door, and slowly shuts it behind him. Ignis and Aranea look up at him.

 

“Did you find him?” Gladio asked. Ignis just shook his head.

 

“This is bad...” Aranea growls. Setting her playing cards down on the table, she throws a jacket on, and walks up to Ignis. “Have you checked every place Noctis usually goes?” Ignis nodded slowly.

 

_Fuck..._

 

Gladio appears behind her, and puts a hand on Aranea’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he soothes her gently. “Noctis isn’t incapable of defending himself. He can fight like there’s no tomorrow.”

 

Aranea brushed his hand away. “It’s not if he can defend himself or not, Gladio,” she whispers. “What if... Niflheim... he can’t fight back something like that.”

 

Ignis nodded. “That’s why, I had to come get you guys.”

 

Aranea and Gladio agreed with Ignis.

 

“Well, Ignis...” Gladio started.

 

“Start the car,” Aranea interrupted. “Inform the guards immediately, Gladio. This could be bad.” Gladio nodded, and threw open the doors, sprinting outside. “C’mon, Ignis,” Aranea whispered. “Let’s go find our missing doggy.”

 

Ignis just sighed and nodded.

 

_Please be alright, wherever you are, Noctis..._

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

_Ugh..._

 

_Where am I...?_

 

Noctis looked groggily around. He could tell he was on some kind of creature, since the ride was bumpy as hell. Trying to focus his eyes, he slowly turned his head to the side.

 

_Yeah... **definitely** moving..._

 

_It’s the black one..._

 

Noctis glanced slowly around and spotted the other three kitsunes, and groaned softly.

 

_Where are they going?_

 

_What do I have to do with kitsunes, anyway?_

 

His eyelids felt like they were 100 pounds each. Drifting out of conscious, Noctis slowly curled up under the deep blanket of sleep again.

 

_Damn..._

 

After running through the woods for what seemed like forever, Prompto finally saw the light emitting from their cavern. Bursting through the trees, Prompto and the others sprinted towards the light like moths to a bulb.

 

“We’re here...” Prompto sighed in relief.

 

“ _Finally_ ,” Drautos whined. “It’s about time that old fox paid us for the hassle he sent us through.”

 

Cindy agreed. Walking into the cavern, all the other kitsunes glanced to stare in their direction. Setting Nyx down on the ground, Cindy rubbed her sore shoulder. Drautos just shrugged.

 

“We’re back,” Prompto finally spoke. The kitsunes in the cave all cheered.

“Well done, soldiers,” a figure behind all the foxes replied. The applause ended, and silence soon flowed upon the cave. “I’m very proud of you four. Werewolves are extremely strong compared to us kitsunes.”

“Yeah, yeah, big deal,” Drautos sighed. “Just take the kid.”

 

Ardyn smirked. “My pleasure.” Scooping Noctis up, Ardyn nodded, and started walking into one of the many caves in the cavern.

 

“Aw, I’m covered in white fur _again_!” Drautos complained, and morphed into his human form, swiping the fur off his body. Cindy just chuckled.

 

“Ardyn- Wait.” Prompto interrupted.

 

Ardyn turned to glance at the blonde. “Yes?”

 

“What are you planning to do with Noctis, now that you have him?” Prompto questioned.

 

The elder kitsune smirked. “Oh y’know, just the typical stuff,” he replied. “Blood extractions, tests, etc.”

 

Prompto stood there for a moment. “Oh... well, ok.”

 

Ardyn smiled, and disappeared into a cave.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“Ok, so if Noctis was really kidnapped, Niflheim would be the first choice to go to.” Aranea explained.

 

“Ok, but Niflheim’s days away from Insomnia,” Gladio interrupted. “We have no idea where Noctis is right now, if he’s really kidnapped by Niflheim.”

 

Ignis agreed with Gladio. “It’s true. We should look around outside the boundaries of Insomnia to see if it was someone else.”

 

Aranea sighed. “Fine. But if we don’t find anything, we’re going straight to Insomnia. Got it?”

 

Gladio and Ignis both nodded. “Understood.”

She cursed softly. “I just hope that Noctis didn’t... run away on purpose to go join another nation.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ardyn carries Noctis all the way into a deep chamber underneath the cave where the only lights were from small candles. He went into a dark room, and flicked the lights on. Inside the room was a whole colony of prison cells. Inside them were all sorts of deformed _monsters_. Some had multiple limbs, others had scales. It was... _unsettling_. Setting Noctis into an empty cell, Ardyn chained his wrists and ankles to the wall just in case he woke up.

  
“Do you have him?” A group of darkly dressed MTs were in one side of the hallway.

Ardyn smirked. “Yeah, I do.” Stepping aside, he revealed the figure chained to the wall.

 

The MTs nodded, and stepped out of the dark. “Good. We will take him to Niflheim tomorrow.”

 

Ardyn nodded, but spoke up before the mechs were about to leave. “Remember the deal,” he whispered. “I get half of his blood.” The MTs just nodded, and disappeared.

 

Looking at the unconscious boy, Ardyn smiled. “Kid, you have _no_ idea what nations have been doing to get their hands on you.” And with that, he sauntered out the room, locking the door behind him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys. I really don’t have much to say right now, since it’s late at night, and I’m just drifting in and out of consciousness while writing this end segment, so I hope it makes sense. Anyway, new updates should happen in a few days to a week, depending on how much homework my teachers plan on torturing me with. Okay, peace out, rainbow trouts, and good night.

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, nice to see you’ve made it to the end! Now before you squish me with comments about where Prompto is, let me tell you this. BE PATIENT!!!! I promise, he’ll show up eventually! Just deal with lonely Noct for a while, ok? I did make some changes recently. Just a simple grammar fix. Oh yeah, and I extended the fight a little longer. Bye, people! Hoping to catch ya on the next chapter, which should be published in a week or two.


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